Violin.



J. H. RICE.

VIOLIN.

APPLICATION FILED APR. B. 1916.

Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

wz elnventor Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HENRY RICE, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

VIOLIN.

Application filed April 8, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jorrn HENRY RICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Violin, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to violins, one of the objects being to arrange within the body of the instrument a pair of strings corresponding with two of the strings on the out side of the instrument both in the nature of the material of which they are made and in length so that when the corresponding strings inside and outside of the body are placed under like tension they will produce like tones when vibrated, the interior strings constituting in addition to vibrating means, reinforces for offsetting the strains set up by the tensioned outside strings, so that tendency of the belly of the body to buckle is overcome while at the same time a stronger and better tone is produced due to the sympathetic vibration of the interior strings.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section through a violin having the present improvements combined therewith. Fig. 2 is a section on line A--B Fig. 1.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates the body of the instrument and 2 the neck, the bridge 3 being mounted on the body as ordinarily. The instrument differs from the ordinary instrument in that an additional bridge 4 is extended transversely of the cavity in the body and secured to the inner surface of the belly of said body, this bridge being located adjacent the back end of said body and at a distance from the front end thereof approximately equal to the distance from the bridge 3 to the neck bridge 5. Keys 6 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

Serial No. 89,949.

are mounted Within a bracket 7 arranged at the back end of the body and the respective keys are adapted to be engaged by E and G strings indicated generally at 8, these str ngs corresponding with the E and G strings mounted on the bridges 3 and 5, the

outside strings being indicated generally at 9. The strings 8 are preferably extended through small openings 10 in the front end of the body and may be held in position by knotting the outer ends thereof The distance between these openings and the bridge if. will be approximately equal to the distance between the bridges 3 and Thus it will be seen that by turning the keys 6 until strings 8 vibrate in sympathy with the corresponding strings 9 said strings will be placed under the same tension as strings 9 and with the bridge 4, will form a truss for reinforcing the belly of the body 1 thus to prevent said body from buckling under the strain to which it is subjected by the tensioned strings 9. The body is provided with the usual bass bar 11 extending between the scrolls.

It has been found in practice that by providing strings 8 such as described the body of the instrument is not only rendered more durable but a better and louder tone is produced than heretofore.

\Vhile the improvements have been described as applied to a violin, it is to be understood that they can be used equally as well in connection with larger instruments of the same type, Furthermore, means other than those described may be employed for holding the strings 8 in position.

\Vhat is claimed is 2- 1. The combination with a violin having the usual strings outside thereof, of a bridge upon the inside of the belly of the violin, strings extending longitudinally of the body and engaging the bridge and corresponding in size and length to certain of the outside strings, and means for placing said inside strings under tension whereby they will vibrate in sympathy with and produce the same tones as the corresponding outside strings.

The combination with a violin having the usual strings outside thereof, of a bridge upon. the inside of the belly of the violin, strings extending longitudinally of the body and engaging the bridge and corresponding in size and length to certain of the outs de strings, and means for placing said inside strings under tension whereby they Will vibrate in sympathy With and produce the emma the same tones as the corresponding outside strings, said inside strings and their bridge cooperating to form a truss to reinforce the belly of the instrument, the distance between the bridges of the outside strings being the same as the distance between one end of the inside strings and the bridge engaged by said inside strings.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have heretoaflixed my signa- 25 ture in the presence of two witnesses.

J OHN HENRY RICE. Witnesses M. L. Ronnn'rsox, JACK FoWLKEs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

